What was J.K. Rowling’s birth name before she added the initial K?

J.K. Rowling’s birth name was Joanne Rowling.

She was born Joanne Rowling on 31 July 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England. The initial “K” was not part of her birth name. Her publishers wanted a two-initial pen name, and Rowling selected “K” to honor her paternal grandmother, Kathleen.

Rowling married Neil Murray in 2001, and some biographical sources therefore mention the name Joanne Murray. However, that married surname is not the answer to a question about her birth name. She later became internationally known by the professional name J.K. Rowling.

A common mix-up concerns the meaning of the initials: the “J” stands for Joanne, while the “K” represents Kathleen, a family name rather than a second given name recorded at birth.